Five prospects in 20's who could have early success in NBA

Five prospects in 20's who could have early success in NBA

BOSTON – The NBA is littered with teenagers, players who are on the verge of entering the NBA, a grown man’s league, having been not all that far removed from puberty.

And while we dote on their potential, immediate success has lately gone to the older, more seasoned player.

In fact, the last three years has seen the NBA’s all-rookie first team include 14 (out of 15) players who were at least 20 years old by Christmas. And the lone exception was Phoenix guard Devin Booker last season.

But this year’s draft is somewhat unique in the fact that there will be at least two experienced players – Oklahoma’s Buddy Hield and Providence College’s Kris Dunn – among the top 10 picks.

The rest of the 20-and-over crowd will likely be picked sometime after the lottery (top-14).

And based on recent history, those players are more likely than not to impact a team in a big way sooner rather than later.

Here’s a look at the five players who are at least 20 years old that could find their way on to one of the NBA’s two all-rookie teams at the end of the 2016-2017 season.

5. Brice Johnson, F, North Carolina

After an impressive four-year career with the Tar Heels, the 21-year-old Johnson comes into the draft as a bit of a tweener. He made a healthy living in college working over players around the basket courtesy of some serious above-the-rim skills and a nice soft touch around the basket. There are lots of questions as to whether the 6-foot-9 forward’s athleticism can compensate for what he lacks in height and strength. But if he lands with the right team in the latter stages of the first round or early second, Johnson could be one of the biggest surprises in a draft full of uncertainty from top to bottom.

4. Taurean Prince, SF, Baylor

He’s a 3-and-D guy with good size and decent strength, and those skills give him a chance with the right team to see court time sooner rather than later. Prince has the potential to impact games early on and not necessarily have the numbers to make it easily known to the average NBA fan. His ball-handling remains a bit sketchy but Prince brings a certain kind of toughness to the floor coupled with really good instincts defensively. On draft night, look for the 21-year-old to be taken in the middle-to-latter stages of the first round.

3. Malcolm Brogdon, SG, Virginia

The reigning ACC player of the year hasn’t generated much buzz through workouts, which isn’t all that surprising. The 23-year-old’s game has always been about substance over sizzle. He has been a solid perimeter shooter throughout most of his career. And while he’s not the most athletic player in the draft, he’s heady enough to make up for that with his decision-making at both ends of the floor. And because of his above-average defensive ability, don’t be surprised if he winds up with a team that uses him primarily as a defender at least early on his career. A team will get good use out of Brogdon who will likely be selected in the latter stages of the first round, or early second.

2. Denzel Valentine, SF, Michigan State

Coming off a banner senior season for the Spartans, Valentine was on everyone’s short list for national player of the year honors. NBA teams love the plug-and-play quality that he brings to the game, a player whose talents can seemingly fit in with whatever style of play a team wants to go with. However, Valentine doesn’t do any one particular thing at an elite or above-average level which is why he’s not a lock to be a lottery (top-14) pick. But the 22-year-old will be a mid-to-late first round pick because of the variety of skills he brings to the floor. And we would be remiss in ignoring the fact that he comes from a program that produces tough, versatile players.

1. Wade Baldwin, PG, Vanderbilt

Few players have bounced around as much as he has on mock drafts, but at the end of the day on June 23, Baldwin should be a first-round pick who may slide his way into the latter stages of the lottery (top-14). Although he’s relatively new to the point guard position, teams absolutely love his size (6-4), length (6-foot-11 ¼) and shot-making (connected on 40.6 percent of 3s last season) skills. Considering where he’ll be likely picked, it will be a team that has a void in their rotation that he’ll likely be called upon to fill immediately. That means lots of playing time early on, and that’s music to the ears of a scoring guard like Baldwin. Rookie of the Year may be a bit of a stretch, but if you’re talking about a potential first-team All-rookie member, the 20-year-old Baldwin has an excellent shot of finding himself among that select group which as we discussed earlier, has lately consisted of the best 20-and-over players from the draft.